Our Journey
by NewPerspecitve
Summary: Saraclya Took is the younger cousin of Bilbo Baggins. When Gandalf shows up on Bilbo's doorstep one morning, and invites BOTH Sara and Bilbo on his adventure, how can the hobbit refuse?
1. Prologue

Enjoy!

 _12.26.15_

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 **Prologue**

"Good morning Sara!"

Saraclya Took, Bilbo Baggin's cousin was making her way over to his house so the two of them could have breakfast together, she barely even noticed that he was sitting casually outside on his outdoor bench.

"Oh! Bilbo! Good morning, i almost didn't see you there." Sara replied with a light laugh, settling herself down next to the slightly taller hobbit.

Bilbo scooted over so she had room to sit down. "Well I thought that I'd get out for a bit this morning, get some fresh air." He explained.

She laughed at him. "Of course Bilbo," Then the two of them fell into a comfortable silence, Bilbo blowing smoke rings and Sara watching with amusement as they drifted off into the atmosphere.

"Bilbo?" Sara asked after a few moments of silence. "Who is that fellow over there?" She questioned, gesturing over towards a tall man with a blue, pointy hat and a deep gray cloak and a long white beard that hung so low it almost touched the ground!

The taller Hobbit sat up a bit straighter, his eyes widening. "My god! I think that's Gandalf!" He exclaimed joyously.

"Gandalf? The old wizard that used to come with his fireworks? Not him surely, what would he be doing up here?" She asked curiously.

Bilbo relaxed back in his seat. "I'm not sure, but it looks like he's on his way up here... to Bag End!"

Sara narrowed her eyes as they watched the old wizard approaching although she couldn't help but feel wary of the wizard there was a twinge of excitement in her stomach, her curiosity was getting the better of her soon enough, the wizard had made it up to where the cousins were sitting together on the small bench.

"Good morning!" Bilbo greeted politely, blowing once more on his tobacco pipe.

The old wizard shot him a look. "What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or, perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning. Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?" He asked rather quickly.

Sara's mouth practically fell open in shock, she'd never heard someone so forward about an everyday greeting! Bilbo, on the other hand didn't seem as phased. "All of them at once, I suppose." He said simply, a polite smile still on his face.

Gandalf shot the two hobbits a somewhat disapproving look, leaving the two of them feeling confused and bewildered. Bilbo cleared his throat before speaking again. "Can I help you?" He asked.

The old wizard eyed the hobbits. "That remains to be seen. I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure." He said bluntly.

Sara felt her heart start to race as the words left the wizard's mouth, an adventure! How incredible would that be! However, Bilbo seemed to have other ideas. "An adventure? Now, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner, hm, mm..." Bilbo mulled over.

Bilbo stood up from the bench, while Sara remained seated, wanting to hear more of what Gandalf said, but the wizard only watched as Bilbo started to gather his mail and start to sort though it, looking somewhat uncomfortable at the fact that Gandalf hadn't left yet. "Good morning." He said once more, puffing his pipe in vexation as he began to head back inside.

Gandalf took a few steps forwards, approaching the hobbit. "To think that I should have lived to be good-morning-ed by Belladonna Took's son, as if I were selling buttons at the door!" He exclaimed.

Bilbo froze, not heading back inside but turning back to the wizard. "Beg your pardon?" He asked.

The wizard gave Sara a quick glance from the corner of his eye before turning back to the older hobbit. "You've changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins." he said, "but as for my adventure-"

The hobbit was quick to cut him off. "No, no thank you!" He busied. "We'll have no adventures here today! Stop by anytime though, today! For tea..." He had made it to his door now, standing awkwardly outside it. "Good morning!" Then he shut himself inside the house, leaving Sara by herself with Gandalf.

When Sara's cousin had locked himself safely inside she had stood up and approached him, "Saraclya Took!" Gandalf smiled. "I had a feeling you'd want to know more about this adventure of mine." He said with a chuckle.

"I would!" She cried, feeling her excitement bubble up more and more.

He chuckled lightly at her enthusiasm. "Well, why don't you join myself and the others when we meet up with your cousin for tea?" he offered.

Immediately, Sara went to accept his offer, her excitement of what was to come growing as each minute passed. "Of course!- wait... others?" She asked curiously.

He merely smirked, ignoring her question. "I shall see you soon!" He told her, walking towards Bilbo's front door.

Sara shook her head, marveling at the mysterious wizard. Then she turned back towards the pathway Gandalf had just taken up to Bag End, heading back towards her home, Bilbo wouldn't mind if she stopped by, she did so quite often.

She calmly made her way back to her home on the outskirts of town, closer to the boundaries of their land. She'd always loved it there, where she could occasionally watch travelers and their flamboyant ways.

Saraclya was a Took, after all... and Tooks sure did love adventures!

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Hope you liked it!


	2. Chapter 1

_12.26.15_

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 **Chapter 1:  
**

When Saraclya made it back to her small, cozy home she immediately set to work, not wanting Bilbo to have no food while the others Gandalf had spoken of were there... also the biscuits took some time to make, she just hoped she'd be able to get there on time...

She pulled the biscuits out just barely in time to meet up with Bilbo and Gandalf and the others...

Just as she opened her door she found herself crashing blindly into someone who was just innocently making their way into the Shire. Her containers of biscuits tumbled to the ground, but luckily she had shut them tightly so the food didn't go tumbling to the ground.

"Oh goodness! I'm so sorry!" Sara exclaimed, scrambling to her knees to pick up her containers.

Whoever she had crashed into had bent down to help gather up the plethora of containers and then they both stood up. Sara looked up at the person she had crashed into and froze, this was not a hobbit! He was tall, for the Shire anyways, almost a whole foot and a half taller than her! He was wearing a tattered blue cloak that matched his piercing blue eyes, he had dark brown, almost black hair (and a short beard) that was very curly and some strands were braided in tight knots, beads placed at the ends of them.

The strange traveler cleared his throat. "It's fine... uh... I'm trying to get to a Mr. Baggins' home, would you happen to know where he lives?" He asked awkwardly, looking out of place holding the bright yellow plastic containers.

She gave a small giggle when she realized that this was the person Gandalf must've been talking about! "Oh! You must've been the man Gandalf was talking about! Actually, I'm heading to Bilbo's now, I can show you the way, if you'd like." She offered kindly, flashing him a smile which he did not return.

He seemed somewhat surprised at her reply, but didn't voice his confusion "Yes, thank you." He said politely.

Sara reached for the containers he was holding, prepared to take them back. "Here, I can take those back from you." She said.

He pulled his hands back. "No, I can carry them, whatever is inside might be ruined by the time we reach Mr. Baggin's if you crash into someone else." He seemed to almost tease to which Sara replied with a light laugh.

"Alright, thank you." She said, gratefully, since it would've been difficult to get all of the containers there by herself. Then the two of them began to walk towards Bilbo's place. "I'm Sara by the way, Saraclya Took." She introduced to the stony being.

He nodded grimly. "Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, Son of Thror, the last king under the mountain, at your service." He introduced.

Sara nearly dropped the containers again. "Thorin Oakenshield?" She gasped. "Gandalf didn't tell me who the guest was going to be, that's incredible!"

Once again, he awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, I didn't know we'd be joined by another hobbit." he countered.

She 'humphed; but took no ill will against his words. "Oh dear." Sara said, looking at all of the containers between the two of them. "I think I've made a bit too much..." She murmured as they made it up to the Hobbit's house.

Thorin gave a chuckle of his own. "No, if anything you've made too little." He said as Saraclya knocked. She didn't have time to question him before the doors were opened and she saw what the dwarf was talking about.

Bilbo's whole house had been completely overrun by dwarves!

She heard Thorin's chuckle at her reaction as her mouth fell open in shock. "Hello Thorin!" Gandalf greeted. "And Sara too... of course. Bilbo!" Gandalf called. "This is Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of our company."

The trays were taken from their hands as they were rushed into the house by the dwarves. "Hello, uncle!" Called two dwarves from Bilbo's kitchen who strongly resembled each other. Then the one with the darker hair noticed Sara. "Oh! Hello to you too." He said with a wink, while another dwarf with red hair slapped him upside the head. "Ow!" he complained.

She couldn't stifle her laughter as the handsome, dark haired dwarf gave her a dejected look, but her eyes didn't wander on him for long because it was then that Bilbo came bounding into the room. "Bilbo!" She cried, flinging her arms around his taller frame. "I didn't expect there to be this much people here!" She laughed.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Neither did I..." he trailed off. "I'm almost out of food!" He sadly gestured towards his near empty pantry.

She laughed, patting her hand on her cousin's shoulder. "I've brought some food... but I don't know if there's going to be enough..." She said unsure.

Bilbo gave her a comforting smile. "Well, it's something, isn't it?" He looked into the kitchen to see that the dwarves had already begun to dig into the biscuits and Sara noticed his longing look towards the food.

''Here, Bilbo, I'll go grab you one before they're gone." She told him.

Sara snuck into the dining room , pushing in between the dwarves until she made it to Bilbo's table, finding herself next to the handsome dark haired dwarf from before.

"Kili," He spoke up, turning towards her. "At your service" He introduced, taking her hand and planting his lips against her skin.

Sara smiled at the flirtatious dwarf. "Nice to meet you Kili, I'm Saraclya, you can call me Sara though." She introduced in reply. "And I was wondering, could you grab me a few biscuits please?" She asked sweetly.

Kili smiled and winked at her before reaching across the table and grabbing several biscuit before moving back towards her and handing them over, Sara accepted them gratefully and shoved them into the pockets of her dress.

The dwarf eyes her dress then looked back up at her. "You look lovely, Ms. Sara.' He obviously flirted.

She gave a light laugh, giving into his flirting easily. "You look pretty good yourself, Mr. Dwarf." She flirted back.

Kili laughed, throwing his head back but then his attention was swayed by the blond dwarf who was with him earlier. Sara was about to turn and head back to Bilbo when another dwarf caught her eye. Thorin was glaring at his nephew from across the table, but when she turned to look at him, they locked eyes, his gaze fiercely on hers.

Sara was the one who broke their staring contest and turned back around to go find Bilbo. When she found him in the kitchen she passed him the food, which he was more than happy to take them off her hands. "Thank you!" He mumbled in between bites.

She was about to talk when she heard a shout from Thorin in the dining room. "Shazara!" He exclaimed, and all the dwarves suddenly fell silents, and Bilbo and Sara entered the room to see what was going on. "If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we siege this chance to take back Erebor!? Du Bekar! Du Bekar!" he shouted and at that moment, Sara could see why he was the king.

The dwarves were all cheering , clapping and stomping their feet. Sara couldn't even help the smile that graced her face, until another dwarf spoke up.

"You forget," The oldest looking dwarf said. "the front gate is sealed, there is no way into the mountain." She said solemnly.

Gandalf then gave a chuckle of his own and he had a look on his face that said he knew something no one else did, which was a look he wore often. "That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Sara watched as Gandalf pulled out a thick key and held it up for all to see.

"How came you by this?" Thorin asked, his eyes locked on the key.

"It was given to me." Gandalf explained. "By your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." Gandalf handed the key over to Thorin as the company and the two hobbits watched in wonder.

Suddenly, the blond dwarf spoke up. "If there's a key, then there must be a door!" He said excitedly.

Gandalf pointed his pipe at the map. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls." he explained.

The handsome dwarf's features lit up with excitement. "There's another way in!" he cried.

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-Earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done." Gandalf said, shooting Bilbo a meaningful look.

Another dwarf chose then to speak up. "That's why we need a burglar!" he cried, sounding proud of himself.

Sara looked around at all the dwarves, and found that they were now all looking at Bilbo expectantly. "Hm, a good one too. An expert, I'd imagine." he said.

A different dwarf spoke up once more. "And are you?" He asked in reply to Bilbo.

"Am I what?" Bilbo asked innocently.

The dwarf from earlier talked again. "He said he's an expert! Hey hey!" He shouted, causing several of the other dwarves to laugh and cheer.

"Me?!" Bilbo stuttered. "No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life."

The oldest looking dwarf spoke up. "I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. he's hardly burglar material."

Bilbo nodded in agreement, as if thankful to have someone on his side.

"Aye," Agreed another, the tallest of the company, so it seemed. "The wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves."

Bilbo continued to nod in agreement; but this caused the others to spiral into an argument. This seemed to rile up Gandalf though, he grew angry as he rose up from where he was sitting, casting darkness over the entire company as he begun to speak in a powerful voice. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is!" He said, returning to his normal self. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all buy unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth and fifteenth members of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins as one of them. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this." He said urgently.

The blond dwarf looked curiously as the old wizard. "If he's the fourteenth, then who's the fifteenth?" he asked expectantly.

Although his question seemed to be something more of clarification rather than an actual question because the next thing Sara knew, every dwarf was looking at her. "Well, our fifteenth member, is Mr. Baggin's cousin herself, Ms. Saraclya Took!" He introduced for her.

She smiled, not allowing herself to feel out of place in the situation as she gave a small wave to the dwarves.

"And what are you, if not a burglar?" Asked Thorin curiously.

And Sara's face fell, she wasn't sure herself, She didn't even know that she was aloud to come on this adventure at all. "Wel-"

Gandalf had cut her off immediately. "Our young hobbit will provide more help to us than harm, she too is going to be joining us on this quest, and I will not hear a word against it!" he demanded.

Thorin sighed through his nose. "Very well, we will do it your way." He reluctantly agreed.

Bilbo's eyes widened to the size of his dinner plates. "No, no, no!" He cried.

Sara watched as Thorin glared at the older hobbit. "Give them their contracts." He ordered, and Bilbo's only reply was a meek 'please' before the contract was shoved into his hands.

She was also handed a long contract, but she took it without any complaint, eagerly letting her eyes scan over the words as another dwarf told them what the contract generally stated. "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth." He explained.

Bilbo gave a little squeak of fright when the eldest dwarf said that last bit. "Funeral arrangements?!" He cried out. Bilbo took a few steps back, getting himself a bit more space to read the contract and Sara did the same, instead settling for a seat at the table in between the youngest dwarves.

Sara missed the next few bits of what Bilbo was saying but the next thing she knew there was a loud thump from the kitchen and she looked over to see Bilbo passed out on the ground.

"Bilbo!" Sara cried, scurrying over to her cousin, but the dwarves got there first, lifting him up and setting him down on one of his chairs. "Is he alright?" She asked nervously, looking up to Gandalf.

"He'll be fine, I'm afraid he's just a little bit overwhelmed." Gandalf told her, and she gave a relieved sigh. "So, Ms. Took, what are your thoughts on your contract?" He asked, and once more the attention was on her and he wasn't sure if the attention was a good or bad thing.

She looked down at the parchment paper in her hands, briefly scanning the last paragraph. "Well, Gandalf, I think I'm going to have to take you up on your offer." She agreed.

All at once the dwarves let out a cheer, going back to their stomping and clapping and a moment later, Sara found herself being lifted off the ground and onto the shoulders of the two handsome dwarves. Sara found herself smiling and laughing as the dwarves cheered and celebrated in her favor.

She found herself laughing as the dwarves cheered and celebrated in her favor. Soon enough she was placed safely back on her feet and she found a quill and ink being shoved into her hands. She signed the contract with her flourishing script:

 _Saraclya Took_

Once the contract had been signed it was snatched up from her hands and folded up neatly before being tucked away into the confines of a dwarf's clothing.

After that the dwarves had settled back down in Bilbo's living room and Sara had stepped outside to get some air.

"I hope you know what you're signing up for." A voice from behind where she sat called out to her.

Sara looked over her shoulder to see Thorin, standing several paces away from where she sat. "I wouldn't have signed the contract if I didn't." She said simply.

The corners of the dwarf's lips turned up in a small smirk , but just as fast as it was there it had disappeared. "I do not want anything holding us back from what is mine to reclaim, you will do well to keep that in mind." he said, somewhat harshly.

She frowned, but stubbornly refused to be dissuaded. "I'm sorry, Master dwarf, but if you think you'll be able to bully or scare me into backing out, it won't work. And besides, I've already signed the contract, I'll not be labeled as a coward!" She told the dwarf, standing up and turning around so she wouldn't feel as small next to him.

He grit his teeth, taking a step closer to the Hobbit. "Don't presume I'm trying to make you back out!" He growled. "I need as many men... er- women as I can get. I just don't want any dead weight that will slow us down!"

Sara straightened her back, trying to make herself taller even still. "Well, I won't be a problem, it's not me who's making the presumptions!" She shot back at Thorin.

His glare was strong, as was hers, and for a moment there was a strong silence between them, until a shout from Bilbo's home broke it. "Uncle! The Hobbit's woken! Are you coming?" The blond dwarf shouted.

"I'll be right there Fili!" He called over his shoulder, all the while never breaking the eye contact with Sara. After another moment of staring, Thorin broke the eye contact and turned towards the hole. "Are you coming?" He shot back to her when he realized she wasn't following.

Deciding it was a good time to tease the king for a bit she repeated the words he had just shouted to his nephew. "I'll be right there, Thorin." She mocked.

He spun around, scowling at her. "Fine, don't be long, we've got an early morning tomorrow." he ordered before walking back into the noisy house.

Sara waited another moment before deciding to follow Thorin inside, but part of her wanted to wait longer just to spite the dwarf king.

When she entered the house she was immediately greeted by the brother dwarves, slinging their arms around her shoulders and trapping her in a dwarf sandwich.

"Surprised you managed to talk to Thorin for that long!" Fili chuckled as they walked into the living room.

Kili laughed before speaking himself. "Yes, he's quite the lady killer, isn't he?" He chuckled, amusing himself.

Sara let out an amused little chuckle at the two brother dwarves as they pushed her down in the chair Bilbo had been passed out in about an hour ago. "What happened to Bilbo?" She asked the two brothers who had positioned themselves around her chair like they were her guards.

Fili lent down so he could talk to her in a hushed tone. "He's told us he wants nothing to do with us, won't sign the contract." he said, not sounding sat about it at all...

"The little guy's gone to bed." Kili supplied.

She was about to say something else, but a hush fell over the room, and she found herself not wanting to be the one to disturb it.

Suddenly, Thorin started to hum, and soon enough the rest of the company had joined in. Then she heard Thorin start to sing, his voice surprisingly melodic and soft.

 _"Far over the Misty Mountains cold_  
 _To dungeons deep and caverns old_  
 _We must away, ere break of day_  
 _To claim our long-forgotten gold._

 _The pines were roaring on the height_  
 _The winds were moaning in the night_  
 _The fire was red, it flaming spread_  
 _The trees like torches, blazed with light"_

Sara found herself blissfully drifting away when they finished their song, but when Thorin let the last note ring out she managed to jerk herself out of her stupor. "That was beautiful." She whispered, but due to the silence that was still surrounding them the company managed to hear it all the same.

"Thank you lass." The dwarf she had come to know as Balin said, accompanied with a small nod in her direction.

When her eyes left him she looked up and just so happened to meet the gaze of Thorin Oakenshield. He was looking at her with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance, and it was her this time that had looked away first.

Sara stood up from the chair and left the room, heading into the hallway in hopes of finding a room to sleep in. She didn't want to walk back to her house this late at night and she wanted to talk to Bilbo before they were supposed to leave the next morning. So she slipped into Bilbo's guest room and took that bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

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Hopefully I'll be able to update soon!


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